Love Everlasting

Chapter 1

The Beginning.

Shanelle stood on the balcony of her duchy's estate and watched her husband play a hybrid game of tag and hide and go seek with their daughter.

"Will you hold still? How am I supposed to catch you if you keep moving?!" He asked their daughter.

"Silly daddy! You're not! That's the point of the game!" she replied through giggles as she ran from him.

"Get back here!" he called out to her as ran after her.

She smiled to herself as she watched them. Their relationship is reminiscent of her relationship with her father. He dotes on Khari as much as he dotes on her and Cordonia.

Being the ruling Monarch is no easy task and she knows it but Marquise has led the kingdom for 8 years and she's been right by his side. He's a leader of the people. The same way his mother was. When they became the ruling monarchs Shanelle made education and healthcare her core missions for Cordonia. She wanted them both to be equally beneficial to the people and the nobility. And her husband has made sure that it's happened.

When it comes to politics, Marquise is an expert at the game they both play. He never loses his cool. Even when he wants to say fuck it and not give a shit, he understands that isn't an option for him. He keeps his emotions in check as he navigates the murky waters known as politics on the world's stage.

As Shanelle goes to lean against the stone banister she's stopped by her protruding pregnant belly. Being pregnant with twins - twin boys no less - is not the walk in the park that some led her to believe. The complications have thrown her entire schedule off but at the same time, she's thankful to be pregnant. Because there was a time she didn't know that she'd be able to have children.

Shortly after getting married Shanelle was pregnant. But unfortunately, she suffered a miscarriage that left her with uterine scarring. She was terrified to try again. But she also knew that per the Cordonian laws of ascension, an heir to the throne had to be produced within two years of her being married to her husband. So after many nights of prayer, they tried again, and the second time proved successful. They had a baby girl. A baby girl named Khari Noelle Rys. That baby girl will one day become the next Monarch of Cordonia. So being pregnant a third time was supposed to be easy. Except being pregnant has proven that life ain't easy.

She watches as her daughter tries unsuccessfully to find her dad.

"Daddy! Where are you?!" Khari calls out to her father as she looks for him.

Little did the Princess know, her daddy was right behind her snickering to himself.

"He's behind you! Turn around!" She silently tries to warn her daughter. But she was too late.

"Gotcha!" he said as he wrapped their daughter up in a hug and spun her around.

"You found me, daddy!"

"Indeed, I have my little one! And as my prize, I am going to cover you in kisses and tickles!" he declared.

Doing so caused their daughter to break out into a fit of squeals and giggles.

"No! Nooooo! Not that!"

"Yes! I will tickle you until you can't stand it anymore!"

Shanelle smiled as she watched them roll around in the field of flowers laughing and playing together. When they stopped both were smiling and breathless.

"Daddy?"

He turned to face her.

"Hmm? Yes, my love?"

Khari cups her daddy's face in her hands.

"I love you! Bunches and bunches!"

He smiled.

"I love you too, my Princess. Now let's go find your mother."

"Okay!"

She watched them walk inside then smiled to herself.

Over the last few years, she's gotten to know him as the Father, the Husband, the King, and especially the Man. And even though each side of him is as complex and complicated as they come, she also knows that he loves and protects truly, honestly, wholeheartedly, and unconditionally. None more than their family, their friends, and especially their kingdom.

At his core, Marquise is a good man. Yes, he has a tendency to be a dick, but you can't sing with your angels without acknowledging that you danced with your demons. And he's got demons a mile long. But he's accepted them and has worked to change and become better. Why? Because of his wife. He had to change for her. Old habits had to die. She wouldn't accept anything less. She made it clear that she married him and NOT the clone of the elder Rys.

Shanelle and Marquise have come a long way both separately and together. Despite what many may think or assume about them, they don't live a fairytale life nor do they have a fairytale marriage.

But what they do have is Love Everlasting.

This is their love story.